Grow Old With Me
by alien.skin
Summary: Everybody lives... everybody dies. Everybody loves... everybody cries. And while you do love while you live, and cry when someone dies, you never stop loving them after they depart into that one... Magical world where you will meet again soon enough. Love is always, and always is forever.


**A/N: After watching multiple sad short films on YouTube, and sobbing over every one, I decided to make this. They were all about death, some not so peaceful, and some so... so awful. This WILL make you cry, please be advised :) Don't forget to review, follow, and fave. Thank you, darlings. (All mistakes are mine)**

***currently bracing myself to write this***

**...**

***procrastinating***

**...**

**Now, we shall begin.**

**Maybe... hehe**

* * *

_**Getting married to someone is a commitment...  
**__**One that is broken often.  
But growing old with them,  
That one person you chose to live your life with so long ago,  
Shows that you made it.  
But then again, everybody lives... everybody dies.  
Everybody loves... everybody cries.  
And while you do love while you live,  
And cry when someone dies,  
You never stop loving them after they depart into that one...  
Magical world where you will meet again soon enough.  
Love is always,  
And always is forever.  
-Me**_

* * *

"You have gorgeous eyes." Castle rasped. He slowly reached up to Kate's forehead where some of her silvery grey hair had fallen over the hazel orbs that seemingly floated in the sunken holes of her eyes. Today marked her eighty-fourth birthday and the half year anniversary of when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had been doing well at the beginning and had recently started receiving chemo treatments, and while her hair hadn't completely fallen out yet, it was thinning quickly.

"I could get lost in yours." she returned softly, her head merely tilting up in his direction as they stared at each other. They smiled at one another, the wrinkles coating their skin stretched around their lips as they pulled them up into the sweet curve of a loving grin, the old leather couch groaning in protest as they shifted. Kate yawned, her mouth changing positions and her eyes slipping closed. At that, Rick stood and held out his hand for her. She hesitantly took it in her own frail one. He led her into his study and through the door connecting it and the bedroom they've shared for so long.

They went about their business, their nightly routine mastered to perfection. As Castle walked past her to walk out of the bathroom, he brushed his hand over the top curve of her butt and she playfully squealed as he lightly pinched it. "I still got it, darlin'" she giggled deeply. Castle started out the door but got yanked back by Kate who smashed her lips to his. "Like I said... Still got it." and she sauntered out like she used to, leaving him breathless in her wake.

Rick walked into the bedroom about 20 minutes later and saw Kate laying peacefully in her designated spot, staring back at him.

"Come to bed, Rick... Come to bed."

"I'm coming, sweetie. I'll just be one more minute." She nodded in response and he slipped gracefully into the living room, only to return with his hands behind his back.

"What are you doing? I'm tired, come sleep." Kate complained.

"Don't be a cranky old lady." he admonished.

She glared back, "Did you just call me old?"

"Uhm..."

"Did you, or did you not... just call me old?" she slowly stalked out of bed, and crept towards him.

"I... I didn't." he visibly shrunk under her gaze.

"That's what I thought." and she walked beck to bed. "What do ya got there?" she smirked and nodded in his direction.

"Oh, this? Its a... How about you open it." he weakly winked and handed the small box to her as he got himself situated under the covers.

Her gasp echoed off of the walls when the little metal clasp flicked open. "Oh, Rick." she swooned. Her thin hand reached into the box and pulled out a gold locket. She popped it open and upon seeing the small picture of him and her on their honeymoon at a dude ranch-way, way back in the day-she let out a small sob and cuddled into his side. "I love you." she said with a quiver in her voice.

"I love you, too, Kate. Are you ready to sleep?" his lips carefully connected with her forehead.

"Yeah... Can you just put this on me?"

"You want to sleep in it? I don't want you to get hurt by it in the middle of the night."

"Please?"'

"Okay... Come here."

He strung the necklace around her neck and strategically, securely closed the clasp around the opposite side. "There you go, Kate."

"Thanks, sweetie. Goodnight," she sleepily slurred, "I love you."

"Until tomorrow. I love you, too... So much."

Kate moved impossibly closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. They drifted off wrapped in each other, her breath curling soothingly around his chin and his swooshing through the air above them.

* * *

Castle woke with a start, he had a dream... A dream where Kate-his Kate-said goodbye to him, where she died. Then he realized something, something abnormal. He was holding her limp body, heavier than usual. _She's just sleeping deeply, _he tried to convince himself. It didn't work, though. Her breath wasn't warming his face, his shoulder felt cold. "Kate." he breathed. "No. Nononononono." he cradled her head in his hands, she didn't wake up. He checked for a pulse...

.

Nothing.

.

He broke, then; draping his body over hers, tears streaming down his face, his body shaking and convulsing with sobs. "Kate, oh, Kate. Please wake up, you can't leave me yet, not now. Wake up, Kate. Please, please." he pleaded against her still chest. "Please..."

He checked for the locket, coming to a quick conclusion that it wasn't at fault for her passing. He opened the heart and kissed the inside with trembling lips before closing it and laying it peacefully on her chest. "Always," he whispered, "That's how long I'll love you." One last warm kiss to her head and a hand carded through her hair, this was it.

She didn't move... A lifeless body. In his bed. A lifetime of memories. Washed away. Everything he worked for, everything they did together, mere memories, now. Nothing would ever be the same again. And as Rick cried himself to sleep, holding his deceased wife in his arms, he could have sworn that he heard her voice in his ear, withering slowly, a quick phrase to seal everything, "Love is always, always is forever. We will meet again, my love."

* * *

***sobbing because omg help***


End file.
